I first heard of Castle & Key when I watched the documentary, Neat: The Story of Bourbon. That film introduced the world at large to Marianne Eaves, the master distiller for Castle & Key…the first female master distiller in Kentucky history, and a bit of a prodigy as she got that job at less than 30 years of age. In the film the whiskey was just being made, so I had to wait a while until it was available…and a bit longer until it was available in my neck of the woods.
I’m happy to say that I picked up this bottle of Castle & Key Small Batch 4 from 2023 for a price tag in the mid $40 range…and I’m even happier to report that I enjoyed it so much, I already bought a second bottle for when this one runs out. The mash bill for their bourbon is 73% white corn, 10% rye, and 17% malted barley. Batch 4 is bottled at 101 proof and is said to have notes of “French Toast, Golden Apple, Papaya, Roasted Almond, Sage.” I cannot attest to all those, but it is pretty great. Let’s dive in.
The color in the glass was a medium amber, maybe not quite as dark as you might expect for a 4 year aged whiskey, but that could be due to char level of the barrels, too. The aroma from the whiskey was of apple and baking spice, with vanilla coming through behind and enveloping those notes. Taking a sip brought more of that baking spice goodness, a sweet fruity flavor, and a cinnamon spice burn near the end. There were definite notes of vanilla, oak, and molasses in there…but those core flavors just served to heighten the complexity of this beverage. Seriously, this is one of my favorite bourbons I’ve ever encountered.
From what I can see on their website, all their bourbon is still being released as “small batch”…and that makes me wonder what will happen years down the road…will they start releasing a regular product that delights the senses, but perhaps doesn’t cost quite as much? Especially if that means wider distribution! Who knows…I’m just glad I found them nearby.
Update: Some time after I wrote this, I was able to visit the Castle & Key Distillery in Kentucky. Amazing and beautiful place to visit and I highly recommend it. Interestingly, they made no mention of their former master distiller…there was apparently a falling out and she has moved on…but they still are making the same bourbon in the same way…along with gin and vodka and rye whiskey.
